SINGAPORE: A series of videos documenting the chaos experienced by passengers of a cancelled SIA flight at Suvarnabhumi airport has been making its round on TikTok.
One of the videos even had over 7 million views and several others hundreds, with many questioning and criticising the declining standards of Singapore’s national carrier.
The video showcases the profound disappointment experienced by a Solitaire PPS Club member, adding to scrutiny over Singapore Airlines’ treatment of business class passengers who were left stranded.
It is known that Solitaire is the highest tier from Singapore Airlines, offering many benefits.
The issue came to light when a TikTok user known as “Uncle T” shared videos on 5 April recounting the ordeal of passengers aboard SIA flight SQ709 from Bangkok to Singapore on 4 April 2024.
@ben358761 Singapore Airlines flight SQ709 (3:25pm) from BKK-SIN was cancelled with passengers boarded due to engine problems. All passengers were required to disembark after waiting 1-hour in the plane. Business class passengers were told they would be transferred to the next flight (5:30pm) as a priority so they could make connections in SIN. However, Singapore Airlines staff did not do as they said and instead gave priority transfer to the economy class passengers until the plane was full. All business class passengers missed out and were left stranded in Bangkok. Some had to wait 24-hours until the next available flight to their destination. This is the reaction of the passengers after finding out that they were passed over. Do be careful if you choose to fly #singaporeairlines business class @Singapore Airlines #avgeek #singapore #solitaire #cna #dailymail #bangkok
♬ original sound – Uncle T
On 4 April, the Airbus A350-900 operating flight SQ709 from Bangkok to Singapore experienced a technical problem shortly after pushing back from the gate at 3:21 pm (Bangkok time).
As a result, all 245 passengers on board had to disembark the aircraft while ground engineers worked to resolve the issue.
Unfortunately, the technical problem was significant enough to require spare parts and additional time for repairs.
Consequently, passengers were rebooked onto subsequent flights departing from Bangkok to Singapore.
According to Uncle T’s posts, it was communicated that business class passengers would receive priority for transfer to the next available flight at 5:30 pm, ensuring timely connections in Singapore.
However, Singapore Airlines staff deviated from this plan, prioritizing the transfer of economy-class passengers until the plane reached full capacity.
Uncle T’s caption on the video stated, “All business class passengers missed out and were left stranded in Bangkok. Some had to wait 24 hours until the next available flight to their destination.”
In one of his videos, a frustrated passenger recounted that a boarding gate manager assured him a seat after seeing his Solitaire PPS status.
Despite agreeing to downgrade to economy class, the passenger expressed disappointment that the manager neglected the needs of business class passengers. He alleged that the manager issued replacement tickets for economy class instead.
Furthermore, the passenger accused the manager of lying, claiming that the manager falsely stated that the affected passengers had purchased new tickets. When confronted, the manager allegedly told him that some passengers were allocated to jump seats, which he doubted was permissible.
“I’ve been a Solitaire club member for 30 years, and you treated people like that.”
“You are making me very upset because of this,” said the male passenger.
Disgruntled passengers slam SIA’s customer service as ‘beyond incompetent’
In another video, a female passenger aired her grievances, criticizing Singapore Airlines’ abysmal customer service as ‘beyond incompetent.’
“This is poor customer service, it’s beyond poor. I’m not expecting this from Singapore honestly. If it were another airline, I can understand. ”
@ben358761 Singapore Airlines flight SQ709 (3:25pm) from BKK-SIN was cancelled with passengers boarded due to engine problems. All passengers were required to disembark after waiting 1-hour in the plane. Business class passengers were told they would be transferred to the next flight (5:30pm) as a priority so they could make connections in SIN. However, Singapore Airlines staff did not do as they said and instead gave priority transfer to the economy class passengers until the plane was full. All business class passengers missed out and were left stranded in Bangkok. Some had to wait 24-hours until the next available flight to their destination. This is the reaction of the passengers after finding out that they were passed over. Do be careful if you choose to fly #singaporeairlines business class @Singapore Airlines #avgeek #singapore
♬ original sound – Uncle T
In another video, a female passenger, evidently needing to catch a flight for a transfer to Melbourne at 6 p.m., voiced her frustration to a Singapore Airlines duty manager.
She requested accommodation and a change of flight ticket. However, she recounted that instead of receiving assistance, one of the staff members did nothing but suggest submitting feedback on the Singapore Airlines website. No practical flight solutions were offered or considered.
@ben358761 @Singapore Airlines SQ709 (4 Apr 2024) had engine problems. Business class (BC) passengers told they will be moved onto next available flight. However, flight manager PHASIT UEUABON forgot to do so and instead allowed economy passengers to completey fill the next available flight leaving BC passengers stranded. Duty manager – NAMPTIP CHALCHUAL informed BC class passengers to simply submit feedback on Singapore Airlines website rather than considering or presenting any viable flight solution. This is how Singapore Airlines treats its premium customers #singaporeairlines #singapore @MustShareNews #suvarnabhumi #thaiairways @Scoot Airlines
♬ original sound – Uncle T
Netizens express discontent with Singapore Airlines’ handling of Solitaire members’ stranding
In response to the TikTok video, a user commented, “Hi. I worked as CSR for Singapore Airlines, and PPS is one of the highest tiers/status we offer for passengers who are frequent flyers, and they also have a lot of advantages. They are VIP passengers.”
However, certain netizens criticized Singapore Airlines’ handling of the situation.
One user expressed disappointment in the staff’s management of the incident, hoping for a fair resolution from Singapore Airlines.
They noted that with experienced staff, such a situation could have been avoided.
Another user mentioned that Singapore Airlines management could do better in handling the situation.
Additionally, another user stated that Singapore Airlines owed the man a proper explanation, highlighting that the staff had promised him something that Singapore Airlines did not deliver, causing frustration.
Another user expressed that anyone would be upset if promised otherwise and should have been accommodated for the inconvenience, even suggesting a one-night stay if necessary.
Netizens validate the man’s frustration
Several comments emphasized the validity of the man’s frustration, citing his 30 years of Solitaire membership status.
Another user stressed that the staff should respect the man, noting that if he spends S$50k a year to fly business class and is treated poorly, he would be upset too.
Similarly, another user remarked that they would also be upset if they paid for business class and saw others who paid cheaper tickets getting on the next flight while they were stranded for 24 hours.
Lastly, one user argued that this is not about entitlement but loyalty, stating that Singapore Airlines should provide the man with the benefits and service promised.
Singapore Airlines addresses passenger stranding with compensation and apology
According to Singaporean media outlet Mothership, Singapore Airlines has confirmed that all 38 affected passengers from flight SQ709, which experienced a recent incident resulting in stranding, were compensated on 4 April.
Beyond mere compensation, Singapore Airlines said they took steps to ensure that affected passengers were successfully rebooked onto subsequent flights.
Additionally, complimentary refreshments, meals, and hotel accommodations were provided where necessary to mitigate inconvenience.
Recognizing the need for improvement, Singapore Airlines stated that they are currently “reviewing [their] internal processes” and enhancing their “customer handling procedures” to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Expressing gratitude for the patience and understanding of affected customers, Singapore Airlines issued a sincere apology to all passengers impacted by the disruption to flight SQ709.
However, the SIA statement appears to have overlooked addressing the ordeal faced by affected passengers who were stranded at Suvarnabhumi airport for 24 hours until they were assigned to the next available flight.
The statement also failed to address passengers’ allegations regarding why economy passengers were given priority to board the 5:30 p.m. SQ711 flight on that day, while arrangements for boarding business class passengers were not made.